He does not retain anger

"Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in mercy and love"

Micah 7:18

One sure and steady thing in the universe  is the love of God. In his book prophet Micah talks about the sins of Israel and Judah, both parts of the divided kingdom of greater Israel. He notes how the evil deed-doers  go around rampant and unchecked. Someone devises how to take away the lawful property of somebody else and then unhindered he can carry it out the next day. There seemed to be a chronic problem of deep seated political corruption and public indifference. All voices of challenge to the morally faltering system were silenced as quickly as possible. Those who oil the public image of the regime by saying how right and great they are were the preferred motivational and political  speech-makers. The influential Israelites, who dominated the weak, owned the day and ensured that all evidence around them appears to confirm their right to do however they pleased and that was perceived as God-given right to them. 

Naturally, Micah is not happy. He warned them that this weakens the society and it would soon fall prey to a more powerful nation. The Babylonians would soon be heard at Jerusalem's doorstep. They would be merciless in smashing all opposition and banish nearly all of those well off Israelites far away in the foreign land between the rivers - Mesopotamia.  Since the weak and needy were totally oppressed by the elite, now time has come, when the elite and those who support and/or do not stand against their disgraceful practices had to feel the same measure of the gory, brutal plight. 

In this deep, dark, deserved doom the spark of God's love was relentlessly making its way poring the thick cloud of moral, spiritual and social bleakness. 

His anger burns out quickly, but His love, however unnoticed at first,  is going from strength to strength. Micah says that God would not leave His people forever. Their inequities would be ironed out. The word "passing over" speaks of "blowing away forcefully" and is used when Moses divides the Red Sea so the Israelites can pass through it liberally. In a similar manner the sea of wrongs that the Israelites did would be one day blown away, wiped out by the absorbing love of God and it could not be seen any more. 

In Jesus, God fulfilled this promise. Our sins are removed by His work on the cross and God is not looking at them. They are thrown away so far by the wind of lovingkindness that should not be part of our self-image anymore. Instead we are God's remnant, who is under the special attentive, loving  care, which He affords to those, who are willing to accept it in gratefulnes and by faith. 

Prayer:

Dear Father,

Your forgiving love, powerfully removes every stain of shame and sin we may have. Thank you for you make this possible in Jesus' Name! Amin!